Warriors survive Thunder in Game 7, passing their toughest test

OAKLAND — No one came to cover him, so Shaun Livingston kept dribbling. Down the right side, he picked up speed as he got closer.

He had been struggling all series, his weariness betraying his reliable post game. This time, he didn’t pull up for his patented jumper. He didn’t slow it down and reset the offense, to avoid another airball or turnover. Instead, he’d had enough.

His stretching one-hand dunk shocked the sea of yellow. It was an emphatic illustration of his resolve, as he released all his frustration on the rim. It was also a symbolic highlight in the Warriors’ 96-88 win to clinch the Western Conference Finals.

Oklahoma City had Livingston bottled up. The Thunders’ athleticism negated his quickness. Oklahoma City’s length thwarted his skill. The Thunder’s energy preyed on his heavy legs. Still, he wouldn’t be denied. It was a metaphor for the Warriors and this series.

No one will be able to say the Warriors didn’t face adversity this time. They can’t be accused of lucky breaks or getting hot at the right time.

They are in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year because they earned it. Maaaan, did they earn it.

“They gave us all we could handle,” Shaun Livingston said. “The length they had. Two superstars. But we prevailed. We had to.”

Last year, when the Warriors celebrated among confetti after clinching the West, their celebration was fueled by excitement. After dispatching of the Rockets in five games, they had energy to party. It was fresh. It was fun.

This year, having thwarted one last Kevin Durant surge, the Warriors’ celebration was infused with relief. They grinned beneath exhausted eyes. Their hugs were less joyous embraces and more drained bodies leaning on the other. What they just endured required all of their valiance.

They lost Stephen Curry for most of the first round, playing all but 39 minutes without him. A hot Portland team with nothing to prove made for a feisty second round foe. And then came Oklahoma City, the ultimate test for a Warriors squad that tends to make winning look easy.

The Warriors got hit in the mouth trailed 3-1 after taking the Thunder’s best shot. And when all was settled, still blue and gold was left standing alone in the West.

“I knew we were ready for the moment,” Curry said after his 36 points and eight assists put away the Thunder. “You appreciate how tough it is to get back here. You can’t take anything for granted. It’s such a grind.”

No one can question their heart. No one can doubt their worthiness. And the only question now is whether they are utmost prepared for Cleveland, being pushed to the brink, or did they burn all they have just to make it to The Finals?

The Cavaliers will be out for revenge. They are fully healthy, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the lineup. They are playing well, having breezed through the Eastern Conference, save a couple hiccups in Toronto.

But it would be hard to imagine teams coming much better than Oklahoma City, or a matchup that gives the Warriors as many problems. A series like that robs the naysayers of fodder. Taking down two superstars as formidable as Durant and Westbrook erases the skepticism about their worthiness.

And coming down form a 3-1 deficit to do it, the first team since 1981 to do it in a conference final, that earns them the right to be compared with greats.

“Definitely the hardest series we’ve been in,” Draymond Green said. “They are talented. They battled. They matched up well against us. It wasn’t easy at all. Every game was tough. Not one game was easy.”

Right when they were supposed to be done, they had one thunderous surprise. It came in the form of 3-pointers, backbreaking counter punches from Curry and Thompson. It came in the form of execution, to make the Thunder work as hard as they were. It came in the form of the heart to fight against bigger players for rebounds and loose balls.

Durant, in all his greatness, couldn’t take the Warriors out. Westbrook could not get the last laugh.
The Warriors were tried like never before. And yet, the result was the same. They win. That should be enough to change paradigms about their greatness.

Four more wins, and there can be no doubt this team is one for the ages.